1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is that of data exchanges without physical contact, i.e. for example exchanges using RF or infra-red links.
More specifically, the invention relates to a system for data exchanges without physical contact between a generally mobile portable set and a terminal or a population of generally fixed terminals.
The invention has numerous applications such as, for example, the control of "hands free" physical access applicable to the identification of persons seeking to enter a building. In this case, the user is provided with a portable set containing identification data elements. At the entrance to the building, there is a transmission/reception or transceiver terminal. When the user wishes to enter the building and approaches this terminal, the user's portable set goes from a standby or waiting state to an active state so that contact-free dialog is set up between the terminal and the portable set. During this dialog, the terminal recognizes the type of portable set, receives the identification data elements contained in this portable set and permits access to the building if these identification data elements meet the requisite criteria (for example, if the user belongs to a predetermined list of persons).
The invention can also be applied to systems of toll payment without stopping (dynamic or "on-the-fly" toll collection with remote payment) and notably to remote payment in a transport system in an urban built-up area. In this case, payment terminals are located at the different points of access to the transport system. The user who wishes to gain access to these public transport systems approaches a payment terminal which activates his portable set. A dialog, without any physical contact, is set up between the terminal and the portable set. After having checked the validity of the information elements as well as the transport payment credit units contained in the portable set, the terminal records the payment of the transport charge and also records this transaction (recording of the debit) in the memory of the portable set. Thus, the user obtains easy access to the transport system and, when he has used up all his credit units stored in his portable set, he can reload it with transport credit units corresponding to single tickets or season tickets.
Many other applications will easily be envisaged by those skilled in the art.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a known portable set that communicates without physical contact, as described in the patent document FR 88 16672 filed on 16 Dec. 1988.
The portable set is herein constituted by a single-piece portable object. This portable set may be, for example, a memory card and comprises notably a microcontroller, a electronic circuit for transmission by induction and a battery. This portable set is designed to work in a configuration of contact-free communication with remote terminals enabling, for example, the implementation of remote payment operations (remote toll collection).
This type of portable set or assembly, which is constituted by a card capable of exchanging data elements without contact with a terminal, has the major drawback of being dedicated to a predetermined type of application.
In other words, it cannot meet a demand and a need for "transversality" or the fulfilling of several functions. This means that it can be used for only one type of application and, for example, cannot be used also, in parallel, as a standard memory card with mechanical coupling means (as a bank card for example).
It is possible to think of providing a portable set like this with physical coupling means in order to permit, in addition to the contact-free communications configuration, another configuration of communication with physical coupling to a terminal enabling, notably, the loading and the reloading of the card with credits or units corresponding to single tickets or season tickets.
However, this "bi-configuration" type of improved version can have only limited functions, unless there is an increase in the complexity of the electronic circuitry integrated into the unit, at the cost of increased energy consumption and hence at the cost of reduced autonomy.
Furthermore, this "bi-configuration" approach requires the designing and marketing of specific portable modules that are not compatible with the portable objects already existing in the market, such as standard memory cards.
To overcome these drawbacks, modular portable sets, such as the one described in the patent document FR 88 13439 filed on 12 Oct. 1988, have been developed.
This patent document describes a portable set separated into two distinct elements, namely:
firstly, a standard electronic memory card, and PA1 secondly, a case capable of receiving the card in operational electronic contact. This case comprises transmission means capable of cooperating with homologous reception means of the terminal, power supply means and processing means capable of ensuring the exchange of data, at least from the card to the terminal. PA1 firstly, by a transceiver device comprising said transceiver means of the portable set and means for coupling with a portable object; PA1 secondly, a portable object comprising coupling means used to ensure a two-way transfer of data with at least two types of transfer devices and notably with said transceiver device, and programmable data processing means, made in the form of logic micro-structures, PA1 means for the processing of the useful data elements exchanged between the portable set and the terminal; PA1 said means for the management of the transmission/reception protocol of said portable set; PA1 means for the generation of transmission/reception commands intended for the transceiver means contained in the transceiver device, said command generation means being controlled by said protocol management means; PA1 the portable object sends the transceiver device commands, i.e. instructions, intended inter alia to place the transceiver device in the transmitting configuration or in the receiving configuration respectively. The portable object can also send commands corresponding to ancillary functions of the transceiver device, notably functions of display or of status tests (for example the condition of the battery, presence in a geographical working area of a terminal, data elements entered by the user by means of a switch or a keyboard etc.); PA1 furthermore, the portable object and the terminal exchange useful data elements with each other: these data elements travel in transit through the transceiver device. PA1 first means for the exchange of data according to a first protocol to exchange data with a transfer device of a first type; PA1 second means for the exchange of data according to a second protocol, through the transceiver means of the portable set which constitutes a transfer device of a second type, with said terminal; and PA1 means to select first and second data exchange means as a function of information element on the transfer device type provided by said means to recognize. PA1 either of the first type, if said testing state is a high state; PA1 or of the second type, if said testing state is a low state. PA1 either in accordance with the standard ISO 7816-3, according to which the memory card is a peripheral slave of the transfer device which, in this case, is a standard reader; PA1 or according to procedures adapted to a contact-free radio link, where the memory card is the master of the transfer device which, in this case, is the transceiver device into which it is inserted.
In this way, the portable set constituted by the card, used in combination with the case, enables data to be exchanged with a terminal without physical contact. A portable set such as this has numerous applications: "hands free" identification for the checking of physical access, passage through the toll point without stopping.
Besides, without the case, the card is capable of all normal functions, for example bank-related functions, that are accessible to standard memory cards.
In the known embodiments of this system, the memory card used is a "standard" type of memory card. This means that when the card is in operational electrical contact with the case, the dialog between the card and the case should be set up according to a predetermined dialog protocol (in this case, the ISO 7816 protocol). This protocol requires an interface management which itself requires the presence of a microprocessor in the case. After the initialization of the exchange, by the sending of a request by the case, a two-way dialog can then be set up with the card, through the input/output (I/O) of this card, in accordance with the ISO 7816 protocol.
Through this modular system, the range of applications offered to the portable set is wide.
However, a problem of autonomy and consumption may be encountered in this type of device, owing to the fact, for example, that it is necessary to supply power to both the case and the memory card, and notably the microprocessor in each of these two elements that are capable of being coupled to each other.
Furthermore, the need to ensure that both the elements of the portable set (case +memory card) are smart (especially for the implementation of the protocol for the exchange of data between these two elements) implies a non-negligible degree of complexity and non-negligible manufacturing costs.